People Are Worried That the FDA Is Trying to Ban Kratom

The DEA proposed banning kratom in 2016 but backed off following massive public pressure. Instead, it asked the FDA to conduct a formal scientific evaluation.

Earlier this month, the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that they were investigating a multistate outbreak of salmonella infections. The agencies reported that 40 people in 27 states got sick, and 14 had been hospitalized. Investigators said that 17 of the 24 people they’ve interviewed reported consuming kratom before getting sick, and a strain of salmonella was identified in leftover kratom powder from people who got sick in North Dakota and Utah.

The news is the latest in a recent series of government announcements about kratom, an herb derived from the leaves of a Southeast Asian tree that many people say has helped them with pain, anxiety, and even symptoms of opioid withdrawal. Research has shown kratom’s potential as an opioid substitute, offering pain relief seemingly without the life-threatening side effect of respiratory depression. More research needs to be done, experts say, but they see important—even life-saving—potential.